Additive Manufacturing Airfoil Post-Impingement Cavity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gas turbine nozzles face efficiency decreases due to fluid leakage and mechanical stresses from sub-dividing structures under intense heat and pressure, exacerbated by differential heat expansion and crossflow issues in the post-impingement cavity.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a manifold, post-impingement cavity, and hermetically separating partitions formed as a single, continuous article using additive manufacturing techniques, which includes an impingement wall with apertures and an article wall with external apertures, dividing the cavity into sub-cavities to enhance fluid flow control and thermal management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the post-impingement cavity is sub-divided to improve flow control, then fluid flow control is improved, but fluid leakage occurs between sub-divided portions and the structure is adversely affected by differential heat expansion and mechanical stresses
Solution Approach 1:
The post-impingement cavity is divided into multiple sub-cavities using partitions that extend from the impingement wall to the airfoil wall. This segmentation improves fluid flow control by directing cooling fluid through specific paths while maintaining hermetic sealing between sub-cavities, preventing fluid leakage between divided portions.
Solution Approach 2:
The manifold, airfoil wall, and post-impingement partitions are integrally formed as a single continuous structure using additive manufacturing. This merging eliminates interfaces between separate components, preventing fluid leakage at joints and accommodating differential thermal expansion without compromising structural integrity under mechanical stresses.
2Temperature
If fluid is flowed through the manifold in sufficient volume to cool the entire nozzle, then cooling effectiveness is improved, but gas turbine efficiency decreases due to high back-flow margin requirements and crossflow
Solution Approach 1:
The post-impingement cavity is segmented into sub-cavities that direct cooling fluid to specific high-heat-flux regions of the airfoil. This targeted approach improves cooling effectiveness where needed while reducing the total fluid volume required, thereby maintaining gas turbine efficiency by minimizing back-flow margin requirements and crossflow losses.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sub-cavities are configured with specific partition arrangements to provide localized cooling control. Fluid flow paths are optimized for each region's thermal requirements, allowing effective cooling of critical areas without the need to cool the entire nozzle uniformly, thus reducing overall fluid consumption and energy loss.
3Ease of operation
If sub-dividing structures are added to control flow, then fluid flow control is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases and the structures are adversely affected by differential heat expansion
Solution Approach 1:
The manifold, airfoil wall, and post-impingement partitions are manufactured as a single integral structure using additive manufacturing technology. This approach simplifies manufacturing by eliminating the need to assemble multiple separate components, reducing manufacturing complexity while maintaining the flow control benefits of cavity subdivision. The monolithic structure also eliminates interfaces that would be susceptible to differential heat expansion.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution improves cooling efficiency, durability, and manufacturability, reduces crossflow, and accommodates differential thermal expansion, leading to enhanced performance and efficiency in gas turbine operations.
Implementation Method 1
flowing a fluid through a manifold inserted into the core of the nozzle, which exits the manifold through impingement holes into a post-impingement cavity, and which then exits the post-impingement cavity through apertures in exterior wall of the nozzle, forming a film layer of the fluid on the exterior of the nozzle
Implementation Method 2
The impingement wall, article wall and plurality of post-impingement partitions are integrally formed as a single, continuous article
Data Source
AI summary
An article is disclosed including a manifold, an article wall, a post-impingement cavity and a plurality of post-impingement partitions. The manifold includes an impingement wall defining a plenum and a plurality of impingement apertures. The article wall includes a plurality of external apertures. The post-impingement cavity is disposed between the manifold and the article wall, and is arranged to receive a fluid from the plenum through the plurality of impingement apertures and exhaust the fluid through the plurality of external apertures. The plurality of post-impingement partitions divide the post-impingement cavity into a plurality of sub-cavities, and hermetically separate the plurality of sub-cavities from one another. The impingement wall, article wall and plurality of post-impingement partitions are integrally formed as a single, continuous article. The article may be an airfoil component. A method for forming the article includes forming a single, continuous object by an additive manufacturing technique.